Of Few Words
by AkamaiMom
Summary: Written in response to a Gateworld Sam/Jack Ship Day 2015 challenge to write Ten Drabbles in Ten Days, these ficlets are each 100 words or fewer, and inspired by a daily prompt. Just wanted to see if I could do it. :)
1. Light and Dark

**Of Few Words**

For Ship Day 2015 on Gateworld, a fellow shipper (Hlndncr) challenged participants to write **Ten Drabbles in Ten Days.** I've never been much into drabbles - I'm verbose in an undisciplined way. (The husband says I don't know how to shut up. Bless him.)

But I figured I'd play along, just to see if I could do it. I'll post the finished products here, headlined by the prompt as a title. On some, I've written two drabbles for each prompt-just going wherever the muse took me. I've been attempting to keep each work to ONLY 100 words, no matter how much it hurts. Ha ha.

Hope you enjoy. :)

 **Light and Dark**

Twilight.

Or dawn.

He couldn't tell. Prone, peering across the golden tangle of his wife's hair, he could see just enough window to distinguish a glow. He settled deeper, splaying his hand across her abdomen, her heat seeping into his palm.

"Mmmm."

"You awake?"

"Not really." She burrowed closer. "It's just bright."

His hand drifted, and she sighed, her eyes languid, inviting.

"I can close the drapes." He shifted, then stilled when her hand caught at his.

"No." She smiled." Stay."

"Okay." So beautiful. How'd he get this lucky?

Her fingers drew him closer. "We've wasted enough time in the dark."


	2. Echoes

**Echoes**

"Leaving?"

"Um." Daniel cringed. "Yeah."

"Why?" Jack frowned, rubbing his stubbly jaw. "We're fishing - having fun."

"Yeah - that might kind of be the problem."

"How's that a problem? The first time I've gotten everybody to the cabin and you're leaving after one night?"

"Well, it's a small cabin." Daniel looked at his feet. "And kinda close quarters."

"Close quarters."

"Indeed." Teal'c now, suitcase in hand. "Quite close."

"You're mad you're bunking together?"

Daniel sighed. "It's not that."

"Then what?" Jack deflated. "Carter and I are enjoying ourselves."

"Indeed, we know." Teal'c, again, blithely. "Your mutual enjoyment seems to echo."


	3. Seeing Red

He wasn't sure, at first.

And, truly, he hadn't been looking. Nevertheless, at the second glimpse, his tongue suddenly lost feeling.

Just a hint when she leaned forward, cuing the ball. Just a taste of scarlet against the cream of her skin. Fullness. Lace. Damn, but the lace. And damn the shirt that gapped just a tidge - just enough to make this the Best. Game. Ever.

Atop the green felt of the table, the balls spun, and Carter grinned as the final one sank obediently into its pocket.

She slanted him a look. "Play again?"

Jack nodded. "Oh, yeah."


	4. Seeing Red - 2

**Seeing Red - 2**

 _"Please." She'd said. "Please."_

And so he'd capitulated, like a coward. Like a hopeless, shell of man who couldn't face immortality before once - just _once -_ being able to hold her, love her _, be hers_ without consequences.

 _"Please." She'd said. "Please."_

How had he become this man? Who gave in so easily to slavery in exchange for life?

He felt the creature's breath on his own, felt it slither through his mouth. He gagged, then choked, a scream painting his throat. His field of vision darkened into blood-haze as he lost autonomy, a freakish whisper begging forgiveness.

 _"Please." She'd said. "Please."_


	5. Answers

Answers

"Colonel O'Neill." Hammond spoke again.

Jack grimaced, glaring down at his boots. Whenever he blinked, he could see her - _her body_ , at least. White scrubs, cropped hair, and that blank expression that both creeped him out and infuriated him. His gut roiled, his heart heavy. He should've blown the thing to Hell when he'd had the chance.

But now. _Now_.

"I know that Major Carter means a great deal to you."

 _She's amazement and wonder and joy. She's tough, intelligent, and caring. She's my world, my soul, my life._

 _I'm dying._

"She's a very valuable member of my team, Sir."


	6. The First Time - 1

**The First Time**

"You hold it like this."

She moved a little to the right, placing her hand just so. "There?"

"No harder. Firmer."

"Like this?"

"Perfect. Now hold it right there."

Sam stilled, her body taut. " Like this?"

" _Exactly_ like that."

"Shouldn't I pull it?"

"Not unless you want this whole thing over now."

Sam grinned. "I'd like to make it last."

"Me too." Jack leaned closer.

She sighed. "This is _so_ much better than I thought it would be."

"Really?" Jack edged closer, reaching out and making an adjustment to the pole. "I knew it'd be freaking awesome. It's fishing, right?"


	7. The First Time - 2

**The First Time**

She'd seen it out of the corner of her eye. The Colonel jumping for cover as Apophis' blast caught him mid-air, thrusting him backwards. She'd heard the thud of ONeill's body against stone, watched as he'd slumped over, still.

"Colonel!" The word felt gristly in her throat, her scream raw, bare. She'd turned, watched as his lifeless body lolled sideways, seen the blood dripping from his ear, his nose, his lips. Known he was gone.

Terrified, angry, she'd rushed towards him, into the path of another deadly bolt.

Carried her pain into eternity.

The first time she'd seen him die.


	8. Not Exactly - 1

"Skiing?"

"No."

"Beach?"

"Uh-uh."

"Cruise?"

"Nope."

The kitchen table needed clearing, but Sam lacked the energy. And Jack was too busy guessing.

"Visit Mark?"

"Um - no."

"Off world? P3F-754."

Sam harrumphed. "Seriously?"

Jacks brows flew upwards, then waggled. "It's got that great grotto. Remember? You and that bikini?"

"Yes." Grinning, Sam nodded. "But no."

"Damn." He frowned into his coffee cup. "Just tell me, will you? You scheduled time off this summer. It's gotta be for a kick-butt vacation, right?"

She leaned forward, placing a gray-scale picture of what resembled a Lima bean in front of him. "Not exactly."


	9. Not Exactly - 2

_Broken. She felt broken._

She'd thought she was just tired, exhausted by three months of work, of sleepless nights and endless days. But then she'd seen him. And _her_. And Sam had crumbled inside - no longer whole.

She shrugged off her tac-vest, tearing at the buttons on her over-blouse. Her fingers shook, and she gave up, surrendered, sinking to the bench with a sob.

"Sam? You in here?"

It was Janet. Her footsteps echoed as she neared. Sam didn't look up.

"So? Are you glad to have the Colonel back?"

How to answer? Sam choked back bitterness, despair. "Not exactly."


	10. Over the Edge

Over the Edge

"So, where'd it go?"

She just looked at him.

"You just had it, Carter."

"I know."

"And we kinda need it."

"I know that, too."

Hands on hips, he glared at her. "Have you looked for it?"

She bit her lip. "Not really."

"Geez, Carter. You hated using leaves, you said, so I gave you the roll. I said to be careful with it. You said you would."

"I know!"

"So? Where's my Charmin?"

"I - uh I dropped it, Sir." She shuffled her feet, guiltily glancing sideways, towards the edge of the chasm gaping next to them. "Apparently, it bounces."


	11. Over the Edge - 2

The chasm gaped. Hellish remembrance.

Brenna was bleeding, but his eyes were on Thera.

He wasn't supposed to know this. _Know her._

He could still feel her skin beneath his own, her head pillowed on his shoulder, her breath caress his throat, her fingers on his cheek. See her smile as he teased her. Her lips against his.

This, he wasn't supposed to know. New/old memories inundated his head. Hateful reality invaded his soul, and he teetered there - despised knowing what he now knew.

Remembering who they really were.

 _Not Jonah. Not Thera._

 _"Yes, Sir."_

 _"Sir."_

And, shattering, he fell.


	12. Awkward - 1

**Awkward**

"Well, it's a good thing you were still lucid." Meeting over, Daniel gathered his stuff.

O'Neill glared over at him. "Yeah."

"You're obviously the Alpha. In that state, she'd choose a strong mate. She'd want to breed with the strongest male for the healthiest offspring."

"Mmmm."

"She's a determined, agile woman. Good thing you were able to resist her when she chose you for procreation. Get her off you. Take her down. Couldn't have been easy."

"Mmmm."

"Had she succeeded in seducing you, that could've been awkward."

O'Neill closed his eyes, hunkering down in his chair, groaning. "Shut up, Daniel."


	13. Awkward - 2

**Awkward**

 _As you may have noticed, there are more than ten of these._

 _I had entirely too good a time thinking of alternate ways to utilize the prompts._

 _So, it's not over yet._

 _(I should probably apologize for the lack of truth in my advertising. . .)_

The quantum mirror flickered and then went black, dowsing the tiny room in darkness. Sam looked downward, towards her boots, desperate to quell a sudden upsurge of angry heat.

O'Neill glared at her, scrubbing at his mouth with the back of his hand. With a growl, he moved towards the door, shouldering by without so much as ruffling her air. "Clear out, people. Show's over."

Frowning, Daniel watched him leave. "Wow. Did you see that?"

Sam nodded, mute, mortified.

"That was unexpected. And awkward."

Her breath escaped in a pained rush. Or a cry.

And, choking back bile, she fled.


	14. Dead Wrong - 1

**Dead Wrong**

"Sam."

"No."

Jack nuzzled her nape, his palm sliding up her arm. "It was a joke, Sam."

"Mmmph."

"It was ten years ago."

"If you think that's an excuse, you're dead wrong."

"You never even knew."

She snorted into her pillow. "And ignorance is bliss?"

"Well, yeah."

"Unbelievable." Even her hair looked mad.

"Sam. C'mon."

"No."

Jack groaned. "Okay. I'm sorry."

Flipping, she glared. "For what?"

"Calling you an egghead."

"And?"

"And a geek."

"And?"

"You're gonna forgive me". He nuzzled again, hands wandering.

"No, I'm not." But she melted into his touch.

"Yes, you are."

Apparently, he was right.


	15. Dead Wrong - 2

**Dead Wrong**

She sat alone, head nested in her arms. She looked so crushed, so beaten

Jack watched her, lips thinned, dark eyes hard. This time, it'd been too close to disaster.

Resigned, he approached the Gate. The K'tau baskets sat empty, forgotten once the sun had turned red, and the zealots had gone mad, and rockets had been sabotaged.

Since everything had gone dead wrong.

Stopping at the foot of the stairs, he turned, lowering himself next to her.

"You okay?"

She shook her head.

"You will be."

Another shake.

Sighing, he draped his arm around her, pulling her closer. "C'mere."


	16. Hold On - 1

**Hold On**

 _Admittedly, this one's a little more gutter than I normally go._

 _I'm not going to apologize - it is what it is. . ._

 _I was going for humorous fluff, and the darn thing turned on me._

Tight, hot, hands everywhere. The chair in his office creaked under their weight, but Sam sighed, perched on his lap, her tongue making the most delicious little circles under his ear.

Jacks hand slipped on the phone, and he scrambled to pick it back up, to remember what to do with it.

His wife moved upwards, kissing a trail up his jaw, her nimble fingers undoing buttons, peeling back his shirt, lifting the hem of his tee.

"General O'Neill." Hammond's voice made its way through the haze. "Jack what's going on there?"

"Just a minute, General." Jack mumbled. "Hold on."


	17. Hold On - 2

**Hold On**

 _He was looking for her. This, she knew._

Sam fought another wave of pain, exhaustion making her bleary and weak. Checking her six, she stole towards another copse of trees, ducking through the brambles just as she caught a glimpse of the cloned soldier striding through the brush.

Blood ran into her eye and she smeared it away with the back of her hand. Fought not to cry out with fatigue and fear. Sought the vision shed been chasing of home and safety.

Of him.

 _He would find her. This, she knew._

 _All she had to do was hold on._


	18. Family - 1

**Family - 1**

 _(This was a bonus prompt. So, there were actually eleven prompts over the ten days.)_

"If you think about it," Daniel mused, "We're kinda like them."

Sam considered the white-tinged beings around her. "Oh?"

"A weird, odd little family."

"Mmmm-kay."

"Jack's the dad - obviously. Leading, or whatever."

"Obviously."

"Teal'c and I are kind of like brothers."

Sam smiled quizzically. "So, what's that make me?"

"Big sister?"

"Sister?" Jack rounded the corner. "Who's a sister?"

"Sam. In our family, she's everyone's big sister."

O'Neill snorted. "Who are you kidding, Daniel? She's more like your Mommy."

Sam grinned. "He thinks you're Dad, Sir, so. . ."

Jack perused her, leering a little. "That works for me."


	19. Family - 2

**Family - 2**

 _(And here's the last of them. And fluffer-gutter, so it's my favorite.)_

Sand. Glinting pink in the sunrise.

Sam gazed beyond the tent door, at the pyramid in the distance. Behind her, he rose, his bare feet soft on the rough-woven rugs as he neared. His body, warm from sleep, enveloped hers.

She leaned back into him, tilting her head for the kiss he nuzzled each morning on the curve of her shoulder. Her skin tingled when he sighed.

She needed to know. "Jack, would you go home?"

His hands tightened on her. "No."

"Oh?" She craned her head to peer at him. "Why not?"

"You're _here_ , Sam. And _you're_ home."


End file.
